Carbon Neutral Thinking
Posted by Lisa Haderlein at 6/6/2007 8:07 AM 
Categories: Global Warming, greenhouse gases, carbon neutral, Travel, tax credits, carbon dioxide
Categories: Global Warming, greenhouse gases, carbon neutral, Travel, tax credits, carbon dioxide
A Story on National Public Radio Tuesday included information about how DHL (the delivery company) has started a "Go Green" program, where for 2 percent extra in the cost of shipping, you can make sure that the package shipping is "carbon neutral."
That doesn't mean that they have couriers walk across the world to deliver these packages, or perhaps ride bicycles. No, they still ship them the same way, with planes and trucks, but they take the extra 2% and invest it in new projects around the world that are helping to reduce or avoid greenhouse gases.
For instance, they invest in planting trees in Costa Rica, and in development of a solar power facility in India. The projects must be new, and must be projects that would only happen with the company's investment.
One reason DHL started this program is because they are a German company, and doing things that are "green" are popular there. European countries are much more pro-active about global warming than the US is.
But it turns out that even our Canadian cousins are more pro-active than we Americans. You can read the NPR story about Canada's efforts.
For instance, in Canada, companies that emit greenhouse gases must track and report those emissions. This is public information, which creates some "competition" to not be at the top of that list! This seems a good use of peer pressure.
In the US, reporting is voluntary - and apparently on the honor system. This means that a company can report emissions if they want to, but no one is going to check their numbers.
It also means that some silly things happen - like the man, Michael Paul Taylor, who decided to voluntarily report his personal emissions! Just to make a point that a voluntary system is silly and kind of meaningless. Yes, that's a picture of the certificate of recognition that he received from the US government for voluntarily reporting his emissions. Now that seems like a good incentive program, doesn't it!
If you would like to report your personal greenhouse gas emissions, click here! This isn't a joke - the link will take you to the Energy Information Administration's Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases website - you can make a report or search the information that has been voluntarily reported!
That doesn't mean that they have couriers walk across the world to deliver these packages, or perhaps ride bicycles. No, they still ship them the same way, with planes and trucks, but they take the extra 2% and invest it in new projects around the world that are helping to reduce or avoid greenhouse gases.
For instance, they invest in planting trees in Costa Rica, and in development of a solar power facility in India. The projects must be new, and must be projects that would only happen with the company's investment.
One reason DHL started this program is because they are a German company, and doing things that are "green" are popular there. European countries are much more pro-active about global warming than the US is.
But it turns out that even our Canadian cousins are more pro-active than we Americans. You can read the NPR story about Canada's efforts.
For instance, in Canada, companies that emit greenhouse gases must track and report those emissions. This is public information, which creates some "competition" to not be at the top of that list! This seems a good use of peer pressure.
In the US, reporting is voluntary - and apparently on the honor system. This means that a company can report emissions if they want to, but no one is going to check their numbers.
It also means that some silly things happen - like the man, Michael Paul Taylor, who decided to voluntarily report his personal emissions! Just to make a point that a voluntary system is silly and kind of meaningless. Yes, that's a picture of the certificate of recognition that he received from the US government for voluntarily reporting his emissions. Now that seems like a good incentive program, doesn't it! If you would like to report your personal greenhouse gas emissions, click here! This isn't a joke - the link will take you to the Energy Information Administration's Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases website - you can make a report or search the information that has been voluntarily reported!
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